Enhancement of Dielectric Characteristics of Contaminated Transformer Oil Using TiO2 Nanoparticles

The electrical and physical characteristics of insulation systems of transformers are an essential factor in its continuity, maintainability and safety. The main contaminant inside transformer oil is cellulose particles that lead to deterioration and sometimes complete failure of its dielectric. This study investigates the effect of adding nanoparticles at different concentrations at room temperature to contaminated mineral oil, aiming to enhance the dielectric behaviors of these oils. Three different contamination levels are considered; 0.02, 0.04 and 0.06 g/L of base oil. Titanium dioxide TiO
2
is used as nanofillers with two different concentrations; 0.02 and 0.04 g/L. Impulse voltage breakdown with both positive and negative polarity was measured for the contaminated oil and nanofluids. Using nanofluids positively influenced the contaminated oil by increasing its impulse breakdown voltage. The maximum enhancement percentage reached is 62.1% for positive polarity and 64.5% for negative polarity when adding 0.02g/L of TiO
2
.